BAND CONCERT ON JULY 2 – Wear your red, white, and blue and bring a flag! The North Jersey Concert Band is back by popular demand for an evening of rousing patriotic numbers at the Meadowlands Environment Center on Wednesday, July 2 at 7 p.m. The event is free. Registration is recommended and appreciated. To register call (201) 777-2431. The Meadowlands Environment Center is at 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst.

In conjunction with this year’s summer fun program, the North Bergen Junior Police Academy is open to North Bergen children entering the seventh and eighth grades as of Sept. 2014.

The Junior Police Academy is designed to operate like an actual police academy for those interested in law enforcement and for students that show they have leadership skills. The objective is to educate the cadets with various police procedures, history of the North Bergen Township Police Department, tours of the police headquarters, a field trip to the N.J. State Police Museum and Learning Center, and to give them comprehensive understanding of what it takes to succeed in the profession of law enforcement.

The Junior Police Academy will run for five consecutive days, starting on Monday and ending on Friday. The academy will run a one week session, with the possibility of a second session, depending on the number of interested cadets. Classes will not exceed 30 cadets. The first academy class will tentatively be held from July 21 to July 25. If a second academy is scheduled it will run from July 28 to Aug. 1. Cadets will be placed in an academy class on a first come, first served basis. The Junior Police Academy will be held at the Lincoln School Annex located at 1206 63rd St.

Now is the time to sign up your child for the Recreation Department’s Swim Lessons Program this summer. There will be three different sessions running from July through August. Different skill levels are available, from an introductory course of basic aquatic skills for children under the age of five, up through Level 5, which will refine performance of different strokes, distance swimming, and underwater swimming. All instructors are licensed water safety certified.

Registration forms are available on the town website at northbergen.org or call (201) 758-2715 for more information.

Public hearing on 73rd Street building redevelopment on July 1

On May 14, the Board of Commissioners of the Township of North Bergen adopted a resolution authorizing the North Bergen Planning Board to undertake a preliminary investigation of property commonly known as 116 73rd St. to determine if the properties qualify as an area in need of redevelopment. The study area consists of a four-story building containing 18 condominiums.

The Township of North Bergen Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on July 1 at 7 p.m. in the North Bergen Municipal Building located at 4233 Kennedy Blvd. to review and consider the preliminary investigation conducted of the aforementioned properties. All persons who are interested in or would be affected by a determination that the delineated area is an area in need of redevelopment may be heard at the time and place scheduled for the hearing.

A copy of the map delineating the boundaries of the proposed redevelopment area and a copy of the Area in Need of Redevelopment Study are on file in the office of the Township Clerk and the Planning Board Secretary, 4233 Kennedy Blvd. and are available for inspection Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on regular business days.

Summer programs at library begin July 7

Library Director Sai Rao is pleased to announce the library’s annual summer programs for both the main library and the Kennedy branch. Registration is taking place now and the programs begin Monday, July 7. Registration is open to North Bergen and Guttenberg residents. Register in person at both the main library and the Kennedy branch. Proof of age and residency are required. Registration is limited. For more information call (201) 869-4715 or visit www.nbpl.org to view the program listings. The main library is at 8411 Bergenline Ave. The Kennedy branch is at 2123 Kennedy Blvd.

Walk the walk and hear the talk about the waterfront

The Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy conducts its next popular “Walk on the Hudson River Walkway” on Sunday, June 29 starting at 9 a.m. The group will meet in Exchange Place Plaza (near the Hyatt Hotel) and will walk north at an easy pace to Hoboken’s Erie Lackawanna Terminal. The walk will take about two hours, right at the river edge. There’s lot to learn about the area and to see (views of Manhattan and the harbor are fabulous). Everyone, including children and your dog, are welcome. A donation of $5 is suggested. More info can be found at hudsonriverwaterfront.org.

Palisades Medical Center’s Casino Night takes place Aug. 21

On Aug. 21, The Waterside Restaurant in North Bergen will be transformed into a Las Vegas-style casino during Palisades Medical Center’s 8th Annual Casino Night. The event will begin with dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. Gambling will take place from 7 to 10:30 p.m., followed by the drawing of a Super 50-50 and other raffle prizes.

Casino Night admission is $100 per person and includes a buffet dinner, beer, wine, soda, and casino chips for guests to try their luck at blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and more. Additional casino chips may be purchased throughout the evening, and guests redeem chips at the end of the event for raffle prize tickets.

All Casino Night proceeds will support technology and equipment upgrades in PMC’s Maternity Center to provide high-quality care for mothers and babies.

Casino Night is planned and organized by the Palisades Medical Center’s Auxiliary, a team of dedicated volunteers that works throughout the year to support the Palisades Medical Center Foundation.

For tickets or for more information, contact Denise Whitley at (201) 854-5011 or visit www.palisadesmedicalfoundation.org.

Pool open daily beginning June 28

The North Bergen pool, located at 2111 91st St., will be open every day for the season, beginning on Saturday June 28. The hours of operation are Monday to Friday from noon until 8 p.m., and on weekends and holidays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The pool is open only on weekends until June 28, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For fees and information, visit www.northbergen.org and click on the “community pool” quick link.